Widowed AF: Real stories of love, grief and beyond - With Rosie Moss

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• S4 - EP19 - He Was Planning Our Wedding: Josie Jakub on Suicide Loss, Love and Life After Olivier 08.06.2026 1sa 15dk

  In this episode of Widowed AF, Rosie is joined by Josie Jakub, CEO of Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS).Josie shares the story of her fiancé Olivier, a kind, spiritual French lorry driver who was loved by everyone around him. Together they were building a life, planning their wedding and creating a future in rural France. Then, just weeks before they were due to marry, Olivier died by suicide.Josie talks openly about the mental health struggles that Olivier had hidden for years, the shocking way she received the news of his death, and the impossible task of making sense of a loss that seemed to come out of nowhere.She also shares one of the most extraordinary stories ever told on Widowed AF: her attempt to marry Olivier after his death through a little-known French law that allows posthumous marriage with presidential approval. What followed was a four-year journey involving handwritten letters, evidence of their love story and a dossier that eventually reached the desk of President Emmanuel Macron.Rosie and Josie discuss suicide bereavement, stigma, mental illness, survivor guilt, finding community through SOBS and the life-changing power of peer support.This is a conversation about grief, love, resilience and what happens when the future you planned disappears overnight.
• S4- EP18 - “I Could Never Regret Loving Her” Danny Lesslie on Grief, Gratitude and Raising Their Girls Alone 01.06.2026 1sa 10dk

  In this episode Rosie Moss speaks with widower, writer, coach and devoted girl dad Danny Lesslie.Danny shares the extraordinary love story he built with his wife Rafaela, known to everyone who loved her as Raffi. They met on the bluffs of Santa Monica, fell hard, built a family together and chose each other every day. But when Raffi was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive squamous cell carcinoma at just 30 years old, everything changed.What followed was five years of treatment, uncertainty, heartbreak and anticipatory grief. As the cancer spread, Danny and Raffi faced not only the reality of her illness but a cascade of secondary losses including financial pressure, housing instability, job loss and the exhausting reality of navigating a healthcare system that often seemed unable to help.In this deeply moving conversation, Danny reflects on caring for Raffi through her illness, raising their daughters through grief, and the faith that carried them when every sense of control had disappeared. He shares the remarkable moments of provision that became known in their family as “Jesus moments”, the decision to be completely honest with their children throughout Raffi’s illness, and the legacy she left behind through her journals, which became the foundation of their book, Thank You, Cancer.This is a conversation about great love, devastating loss, family, faith, fatherhood and the complicated work of learning how to hold gratitude and grief in the same hand.A beautiful and profoundly honest episode about what it means to keep choosing life after the person you love most is gone.
• S4 – EP17 – “I Thought I Was Broken”: Emma Grey on Late Diagnosis, Grief and Learning to Regulate 19.05.2026 1sa 8dk

  In this episode Rosie Moss is joined once again by Emma Grey. Emma is a former wills and probate lawyer turned grief-informed coach and counsellor, and founder of Rainbow Hunting.The conversation moves into the reality of long-term grief and the parts people don’t really talk about once the initial shock fades. Emma speaks openly about how bereavement can strip away the coping strategies and masking that once held everything together, leaving people overwhelmed, hypervigilant, emotionally shut down or simply exhausted from surviving.Together Rosie and Emma explore the overlap between grief and neurodivergence, late ADHD and autism diagnosis, rejection sensitivity, people pleasing, burnout, therapy, nervous system regulation and the strange process of rebuilding yourself after loss.They talk honestly about fear of abandonment, the pressure of solo parenting whilst dysregulated, and the tiny practical things that can help when life feels too loud: noise-cancelling headphones, retreating to bed, familiar TV shows, breathing exercises and learning that sometimes shutting down is not weakness, but protection.This is a raw, funny and deeply validating conversation about grief that doesn’t end neatly, the parts of ourselves we lose along the way, and the freedom that can come from finally understanding who you are underneath the survival mode.Including:• The story behind “Sadmin™” and why the paperwork after death can feel impossible• Why grief behaves more like trauma than a timeline• “You can become the best surfer in the world, but the waves still come”• Window of tolerance explained: hypervigilance, shutdown and nervous system overwhelm• Neurodivergence, masking and why grief often blows coping strategies apart• Rejection sensitivity, abandonment wounds and the fawn response• Why receiving help can feel harder than giving it• Therapy as self-discovery rather than “fixing” yourself• “Dormousing,” sensory regulation, noise-cancelling headphones and practical tools for overwhelm• Why so many widowed parents are surviving in burnout modeA thoughtful, funny, validating conversation for anyone navigating grief, neurodivergence, overwhelm, or simply trying to understand themselves a little better.
• S4 – EP16 – “This One Was Different”: Donna Rice-Hannam on Hospital Failures, Grief and Surviving Without Mark 18.05.2026 58dk

  In this episode Rosie Moss speaks with Donna Rice-Hannam, who found Widowed AF just five weeks after her husband Mark died suddenly in October 2024. What follows is a conversation full of heartbreak, fury, dark humour, and the kind of honesty that makes grief feel a little less lonely.Donna shares the story of meeting Mark through mutual friends, a “blind blind date,” and a pub-stairs snog that turned into a relationship built on safety, tenderness and fierce loyalty. After years of difficult relationships, mental health struggles and recovery, Donna found in Mark someone who didn’t just love her, but actively protected her wellbeing.Together they survived the devastating late-pregnancy loss of their daughter, privately named Charlotte but publicly known as “Pebbles.” Donna talks candidly about stillbirth, trauma, and the way grief bonded them even more deeply together. She describes Mark’s quiet acts of love, from packing the car and taking her to the sea during bipolar episodes, to proposing in Paris simply because “he just wanted to see you smile.”The conversation then turns to the terrifying weeks leading up to Mark’s death: repeated hospital admissions, catastrophic internal bleeding, blood transfusions, discharge decisions Donna felt deeply uneasy about, and the growing horror of realising something was being missed. Donna recounts the final hours in devastating detail, from the ambulance ride and failed attempts to stabilise him, to watching doctors perform CPR while begging him to come back.Rosie and Donna also talk about what happens afterwards: the rage of unanswered questions, delayed inquests, poor bereavement care, losing friendships alongside your partner, and the dangerous pull of alcohol when grief feels physically unbearable. Throughout it all, Donna speaks openly about bipolar disorder, surviving early widowhood, and the conscious decision to protect her mental health because Mark fought so hard to protect it while he was alive.This episode covers:• Falling in love after difficult relationships and finding safety in another person• Bipolar disorder, recovery, and supportive partnership without losing independence• Stillbirth, grief after baby loss, and naming their daughter Charlotte (“Pebbles”)• The role of humour, routine and practical care in long-term love• Hospital trauma, internal bleeding, repeated discharge attempts and advocating for loved ones• The shock of sudden death and witnessing resuscitation efforts firsthand• Anger, delayed accountability and ongoing inquest proceedings• Friendship, community and the people who quietly keep you alive in early grief• Alcohol, counselling, medication and surviving the “messy middle” of widowhood• Why protecting your mental health can become an act of love for the person you lost#widowedaf #widowhood #griefpodcast #griefsupport #bipolardisorder #pregnancyloss #stillbirth #nhs #medicaltrauma #inquest
• S4 – EP15 – “I Don’t Know Where to Go for Comfort Now”: Corinne Longland-Malam on Sudden Loss, Trauma and Surviving After Lee 11.05.2026 1sa 1dk

  In this episode Rosie Moss speaks with Corinne Longland-Malam, known online as the “Fairy Grief Mother,” about losing her partner Lee after a rare and devastating illness turned their lives upside down in the space of months.Corinne shares the story of meeting Lee “very romantically on Facebook,” falling quickly into a relationship that felt less like fireworks and more like finally feeling safe. Together they built a blended family, a quiet life, and the kind of love rooted in contentment, companionship and being fully yourself with another person.Everything changed when Lee was diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis caused by myeloma, a rare condition affecting both the heart and blood. What follows is a brutally honest conversation about sudden illness, complicated treatment decisions, and the impossible balance between hope and reality.Corinne speaks candidly about becoming Lee’s advocate while trying to protect their children, the trauma of repeated cardiac arrests at home, and the night he died beside her after another emergency. She describes performing CPR, waiting for the coroner, making impossible phone calls, and the surreal practical reality of grief in its earliest hours.Rosie and Corinne also talk about what comes afterwards: the secondary losses that ripple through blended families, being forced to leave the home they shared, parenting while grieving, and using TikTok as an outlet for pain that felt too raw to share anywhere else.This episode covers:• Falling in love after difficult past relationships and finding safety in another person• Cardiac amyloidosis and myeloma, including missed symptoms and delayed diagnosis  • The emotional impact of rare illness and navigating uncertainty around treatment• Advocacy, medical trauma, and protecting loved ones from frightening realities• Cardiac arrests at home, CPR, and the shock of sudden death• Parenting grieving children while trying to survive your own grief• Wills, legal planning, and the practical chaos that follows loss• Social media, community, and why sharing grief online can sometimes feel safer than doing it face to face• Rebuilding safety, identity and family life after losing your person
• S4 – EP14 – “Katie’s Death, On Her Terms”: Jackie L. Disch on Love, Advocacy and Loss 04.05.2026 51dk

  In this episode Rosie Moss speaks with Jackie L. Disch, who shares the story of her wife Katie and the life they built together over 23 years. A relationship rooted in deep acceptance.Katie’s death came suddenly in 2020 after a series of strokes, during a time when COVID restrictions meant hospitals were inaccessible, isolating, and frightening. What followed was a rapid shift from normal life into end-of-life care at home, as Jackie supported Katie through her final weeks.This is a conversation about presence. About what it means to stay when things are hard. About advocating for the person you love, even when every part of you wants a different outcome. Jackie speaks candidly about the decisions they made to prioritise comfort over intervention, and the complexity of holding both love and loss in the same space.There is honesty here about fear, anger, and the practical realities that come after death. But there is also something else running through it, a thread of dignity, connection, and what Jackie describes as “living grief” rather than moving on from it.This episode covers:• A long-term partnership built on acceptance and deep emotional safety• The impact of COVID on medical care and end-of-life choices• Katie’s strokes and the rapid progression to home hospice  • Caring for a partner at home, including communication loss and dependency• Advocacy, autonomy, and the idea of a “good death”• The emotional reality of early grief, including anger and administrative overwhelm• Lockdown, stillness, and being unable to avoid grief• Writing, memory, and learning to live alongside loss rather than resolve it
• S4 – EP13 – “You’re Going to Die From This”: Orlagh Reynolds on MND, Parenting and Letting Go 27.04.2026 1sa 12dk

  In this episode I’m joined by Orlagh Reynolds, whose husband Fraser died from motor neurone disease.Their story starts the way so many of the best ones do. A chance meeting in Dublin, a bit of boldness, and a gut feeling that turned into a life. Together they built something full. Australia, travel, work, marriage, and their daughter, Una.And then another gut feeling. This one telling Orlagh they needed to go home to Ireland.Not long after, Fraser was diagnosed with MND.What follows is a conversation about what happens when you are told, in no uncertain terms, that the person you love is going to die, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Oriagh talks about what the disease took from Fraser, slowly and relentlessly, and how they made a conscious decision to focus on what remained. Their home became a place of care, honesty, humour, and, perhaps most strikingly, gratitude. Not forced positivity, but a daily practice that carried them through the worst of it.We talk about parenting through terminal illness. How you explain something like this to a child. How you include them without overwhelming them. And what it looks like to raise a child in the middle of something most adults would struggle to survive.We talk about Fraser’s creativity in the face of unimaginable loss. The art he created using only his eyes. The legacy he built while his body failed him. And the letter he left behind for his wife and daughter, waiting until the moment it was needed.And we talk about what comes after. Solo parenting. The empty house at night. The decisions that are yours and yours alone. And the relentless reality of continuing on.This one is devastating in places. But it’s also full of love, strength, and a kind of perspective that stays with you.
• S4 – EP12 – He Died on the Flight Home: Fran Milne on Sudden Loss, Grief and the Day Everything Changed 20.04.2026 1sa 16dk

  Rosie is joined by Fran Milne, whose husband Matt died suddenly after collapsing on a flight home from Singapore.What begins as a familiar story of work travel, school runs and family life shifts in an instant into something unthinkable. A knock at the door. A police officer standing on the driveway. And the kind of shock that splits your life into before and after.In this deeply honest conversation, Fran talks Rosie through the moment everything changed. From the surreal wait in her living room, to the phone call from the air ambulance, to the long drive to the hospital knowing something was very wrong. And then the moment no one can prepare you for.They talk about the practical and emotional chaos that follows sudden loss. Telling the children. The decisions you never thought you’d have to make. The strange, jarring details that stay with you. And the small moments of humanity that carry you through the worst day of your life.There is heartbreak here, but also warmth, humour, and the kind of clarity that only comes from living through it.This episode covers:Sudden death and medical traumaThe reality of a police knock at the doorDeep vein thrombosis and missed symptomsThe experience of hospital after a sudden lossTelling children their parent has diedEarly grief, shock, and survival
• S4 – EP11 – “We Got Married Days Before He Died”: Jess Herrick on Young Widowhood, Cancer and the Life They Didn’t Get 13.04.2026 1sa 9dk

  Jess Herrick was 28 when her partner Max was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer.What followed was a year of brutal treatment, long hospital stays, and a kind of life that no one in their twenties expects to be living. Against the odds, Max went into remission and they tried to rebuild. But just a year later, the cancer came back, this time terminal.In this episode, Jess talks about loving someone through illness, becoming a carer in your mid-twenties, and the quiet, devastating losses that come with young widowhood, not just the person, but the future you were meant to have together.They got married in a hospice just days before Max died.Jess also shares what it’s actually like to be widowed at 28, the messy reality of grief in your twenties, and why she’s now helping other young widows find each other through peer support.This one is raw, honest, and devastating, but also full of love.
• S4 – EP10 – “You Are So Strong”: Leslie Harter-Berg on Sudden Loss, Solo Parenting and Starting Again 06.04.2026 1sa 5dk

  Rosie is joined by Leslie Harter-Berg, author of You Are So Strong, to talk about sudden loss, solo parenting, and rebuilding a life you never asked for.Leslie’s husband Ryan died unexpectedly in 2019 after suffering an aneurysm and stroke while they were on a family holiday. He was 34. They had two very young children. One moment they were by the pool, the next, everything had changed.They talk about the reality of those early days. Telling your children their dad has died. Coming home without him. The strange, relentless practicalities of grief. And why being told “you are so strong” can feel completely off the mark.They also talk about what comes next. Finding love again. Building a blended family. Raising children who grieve in very different ways. And holding both joy and devastation at the same time.Leslie shares how her book came to be, and how writing it felt less like revisiting trauma and more like spending time with Ryan again.About Leslie's BookTitle: You Are So Strong: On Grief and Letting Go of My Favourite Compliment Available: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Kindle, and Audible (narrated by Leslie herself)Where to Find LeslieInstagram: @lesliehartbergNonprofit: Vids for Wids (sharing widows' stories). ( https://www.vidsforwids.com/)Where to Find RosiePodcast: Widowed AFBook: Rosie's memoir (published on the anniversary of Ben's death)Content NoteThis episode discusses sudden bereavement, young widowhood, children's grief, and the death of a spouse. If you have been affected by any of the topics discussed, you can reach out to Rosie or Leslie directly via their social channels.
• S4 - EP-9 - She Died Protecting Her Children: Stuart Green on Love, Loss and What Comes Next 30.03.2026 50dk

  In this episode, Rosie Moss speaks with Stuart J Green, author of The Regenerative Leap, whose story of love, loss and survival is almost impossible to comprehend, and yet deeply human.Stuart takes us back to a life built in the Philippines, where he met his wife Maya, a brilliant lawyer, mother, and woman deeply committed to justice. Their love story is rich with humour, culture and connection. And then, in a moment of unimaginable violence, everything changes.Maya is murdered in broad daylight, ambushed in her car while picking up their children from school. What follows is a story that will stop you in your tracks. A mother’s final act of protection. Children who survive against all odds. And a father who must hold it all together while his world collapses.Together, Rosie and Stuart explore what happens next. The immediate aftermath. The fear. The decision to flee the country within days. And the reality of arriving back in the UK as a suddenly single parent to three traumatised children.They talk about:Survivor’s guilt and what it means to be “the one left behind”Raising children after extreme trauma and telling them the truth over timeThe anger children feel, and where it landsThe strange isolation of being a widowed parent, especially as a dadThe power of routine, even when everything feels impossibleAnd the idea that grief doesn’t just break you, it can also rebuild youStuart shares how he deliberately chose not to look back at his grief until his children were stable, and what happened when he finally opened those journals years later. From that came his book, and a framework for navigating life after devastation.At the heart of this conversation is a powerful reframe. Not resilience. Not “getting back to who you were”. But regeneration. The idea that after the fire, something new can grow.This is an episode about the worst thing happening… and what comes after.About raising children through grief.About love that protects, even in the final moment.And about finding a way forward when there is no map.If this episode resonates, sharing it or leaving a review helps other widows find it.https://www.regenerateleap.com/
• S4 – EP8 Love, Vinyl and Bowel Cancer: Cath Holland on Caring for Andy and Life After the Music Stopped 17.03.2026 1sa 13dk

  In this episode Rosie Moss is joined by writer and lifelong music obsessive Cath Holland. Cath brings her husband Andy vividly to life, a thoughtful, principled “music buff” whose love of records, gigs and humour carried them through 25 years together and somehow held on right until the end.The conversation begins in the life before. Liverpool gig scenes, record shops, and a shared vinyl collection built over decades. Cath still laughs remembering the moment Andy first asked her out, by ringing her landline like it was 1987.Then comes the rupture. Cath walks Rosie through the brutal speed of Andy’s bowel cancer diagnosis. The failed prep. The endless hospital wait. Being told there was an “84% chance” of cancer just days before Christmas. Early reassurances quickly turned into the reality of stage four disease.Together they talk about the parts people rarely say out loud. Stomas, infections, DNAR conversations, and the relentlessness of becoming a carer while watching the person you love slip away. Cath also speaks about the strange intimacy of keeping someone at home after they die.From there the conversation moves into the long tail of grief. Funerals. Ashes sitting on a shelf surrounded by Beatles books. The support cliff that arrives after everyone goes home. And the exhausting work of rebuilding a future that was never meant to be yours.This is a conversation about love, music, caregiving, class, and the quiet endurance required to keep going when the soundtrack of your life suddenly stops.In this episode:• How Cath and Andy’s relationship was built through music, Liverpool gigs, record collecting and the rituals that still anchor her now.• The diagnostic timeline that still feels unreal: repeat endoscopies, a dread filled wait, and being told there was an “84% likelihood” of cancer days before Christmas.• Medical whiplash and systemic failure when tumours initially shrank but surgery was later ruled out because hospital teams weren’t communicating properly.• What “dying at home” can actually look like, from hospice at home support and syringe drivers to district nurses and the decision to stay out of hospital in the final week.• Small moments of joy when there is no bucket list, including record shopping, Saturday lunches and comfort music from The Beatles and Creedence.• After death: the funeral as a rare moment of collective support, a Beatles shrine for the ashes, and the quiet bubble before telling the world.• The secondary losses people rarely talk about including work, identity, grief brain and the physical impact of prolonged stress and caregiving.• The kind of support that actually helps bereaved people and the things well meaning friends often get wrong.A beautiful, honest conversation about music, love, caregiving and the long echo of loss.Chapters0:07 Welcome + Kath and Andy: a life built on music6:50 From first symptoms to diagnosis: the long, frightening wait9:54 Treatment twists: radiotherapy, chemo hope, then stage four12:44 Palliative care, hospice, and choosing home18:59 Living inside terminal illness: day-to-day love, fear, and admin26:07 The last weeks and days: care at home, music, and the moment of death37:04 What happens next: overnight at home, funeral, ashes, and keeping love close42:59 The fallout: isolation, practical help, money, class, and work after loss64:29 Rebuilding a life: identity, exhaustion, joy, and messages for the newly widowed#widowedaf #widowhood #griefpodcast #bereavement #hospicecare #palliativecare #cancerjourney #endoflifeplanning #griefandmoney #workingclassvoices
• S4 – EP7 – Finding the Funny in Grief: Comedian Sam Morrison on Losing His Partner to COVID 19 09.03.2026 51dk

  This week on Widowed AF, Rosie is joined by LA-based comedian Sam Morrison, whose life changed forever when his partner Jonathan died from Covid in 2021.Sam is currently in London performing his critically acclaimed show Sugar Daddy, a wildly funny, deeply personal comedy about love, loss and everything that comes after. What started as grief eventually found its way onto the stage, proving that sometimes you can’t make sense of tragedy… but you can make jokes about it.Rosie and Sam talk about meeting their partners, navigating loss at a young age, and the strange club nobody wants to join. They also get into dark humour, grief counselling, dating after loss, audience reactions to comedy about death, and why sometimes laughter is the only way through.Expect conversations about gay bear festivals, cruise ship comedy gigs, grief guilt, autoimmune diagnoses after trauma, and the awkward reality of trying to explain “my partner who died” in everyday conversation.It’s a thoughtful, funny and refreshingly honest chat about grief, resilience and carrying the people we love forward with us.Sam’s show Sugar Daddy is running at the Underbelly in Soho, London from 5 March to 4 April.Find tickets and tour dates at samuelhmorrison.com @samuelhmorrisonIf you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate and review the podcast. It really helps other widowed people find us.You can also find Rosie on Instagram @widowedaf or at widowedaf.com.As always… take care of yourselves, and each other.0:02 Meet Sam Morrison + ‘Sugar Daddy’ arrives in London3:04 The love story: meeting Jonathan and falling in fast7:17 The rupture: losing Jonathan to COVID (and surviving the pandemic)9:57 Finding language, finding help: support networks + queer widowhood18:22 Building ‘Sugar Daddy’: turning grief into a show (and taking the hits)28:03 Grief in the body + love after loss35:37 Living with the long tail: time, milestones, sobriety, success-guilt41:41 Spirituality, signs, and the wish for one more conversation45:50 Final plugs + goodbye: dates, links, community#widowedaf #griefandloss #covidgrief #queergrief #griefhumor #darkhumor #bereavement #griefsupport #sugardaddyshow #standupcomedy
• S4 – EP6 – Five Weeks in Limbo: Natalie Dodds on Trauma, ICU Vigil and Fighting for Answers 02.03.2026 1sa 40dk

  In this episode, Rosie Moss speaks with Natalie Dodds.Natalie is a mum of two who lost her partner, Dave, following a workplace crane collapse. She speaks with clear eyed honesty about parenting through shock, bureaucracy and the long tail of grief, while still finding ways to keep Dave’s humour and presence alive at the family dinner table.We begin with life before. How Natalie and Dave met, built a home and became parents. Alongside that joy came an earlier rupture, the stillbirth of their daughter, Emily Daisy, at just over 38 weeks. Natalie shares the visceral reality of delivering on a main ward while hearing other babies cry, and the complex coexistence of grief and love that followed. In time, she volunteered with SANDS and welcomed two more children, carrying both loss and hope.At the heart of this conversation is the day of the accident. The unexpected paramedic call. The 126 mile drive. The 7pm news report confirming a crane collapse in Crewe. The moment “alive” became the only word that mattered.What followed was five weeks of ICU limbo. Sedation, ventilation, internal bleeding and sepsis. Dark humour. Small kindnesses from staff. Impossible choices about protecting children from trauma. Then the call no one survives hearing. There is absolutely nothing we can do. The kindest thing is to switch the machines off and let him die.Natalie speaks about what comes after the headline moment. The secondary losses that keep arriving. Mortgage threats. Next of kin complications. Institutions insisting on speaking to the person who has died. An 8.5 year wait for an inquest. The exhaustion of fighting systems that do not bend.She shares how she chose not to take her children into ICU, how she refused false promises, and how she found the words to tell them their dad was not coming home, while still getting them up for school the next morning.Eight and a half years later, the inquest brought answers about training failures and a wrong method statement, followed by the additional blow of hearing “not guilty.” Natalie reflects on the strange mixture of validation and devastation that comes with official findings that change nothing.This is a conversation about compounded grief. About loving someone who has died without freezing them in sainthood. About keeping Dave the man present through stories, laughter and everyday references. About maintaining a close bond with his family. About integrating a new partner into a home where Dave is still spoken about with love.It is also about resilience that does not look shiny. About coping strategies that sound small but keep you upright. Work routines. Blood pressure bingo. Cherries to stay awake on the motorway.Above all, it is about a woman doing the unthinkable and still showing up for her children.A powerful, unfiltered episode about loss, responsibility, anger, love and the long road towards something that resembles stability.
• S4- EP5 - A Widow’s Fight: How Caroline Booth Is Challenging a Broken System 09.02.2026 31dk

  In this episode the host Rosie Moss speaks with Caroline Booth. Caroline is a widowed mother of two and the driving force behind a powerful grassroots campaign to reform bereavement support in the UK, born from her own experience of sudden loss and systemic failure.Caroline’s story begins with the unexpected loss of her husband Steve to aggressive bowel cancer. As she navigated the raw terrain of grief while raising two teenage sons, she quickly found herself caught in a bureaucratic maze—unable to access funds, unaware of her entitlements, and confronted by the limitations of a system that seemed designed to overlook her. Through candid reflection and honest frustration, Caroline details her journey from devastation to advocacy, sharing the real-life impacts of outdated policies, insufficient support, and public misperceptions. This conversation sheds light on how bereaved families are consistently let down, how contributory systems ignore lived complexity, and how a campaign powered by grief and solidarity is shifting the narrative. As Rosie notes, Caroline’s strength is not just in surviving, but in using her voice so others don’t face the same silence. “You look at your kids and you think, shit, actually, would I—how long could I pay my mortgage for if my husband died?”—a reflection many will carry forward.Caroline recounts her husband Steve’s swift decline from bowel cancer and the shock of widowhood after 30 years together—and how that grief became a catalyst for action.She shares the disorienting reality of navigating bereavement support systems, where help is hard to access and few are told it exists—especially in the critical first three months.The conversation reveals how policy decisions, such as freezing the Bereavement Support Payment since 2017, have left families adrift in the face of rising living costs and funeral expenses.Public misconceptions—like seeing bereavement support as “taxpayer handouts”—block meaningful dialogue and spotlight society’s discomfort with grief and dependency.Caroline’s campaign draws attention to solo parents navigating Universal Credit and how flawed benefit structures penalize them further, often creating enduring disadvantage.The discussion explores the limits of life insurance and how caregiving roles disrupt financial security—reminding listeners that bereavement is rarely something one can fully prepare for.A grassroots petition, powerful community solidarity, and even a song release (“Warrior”) are all part of Caroline’s effort to push for systemic change, one letter to Parliament at a time.
• S4 – EP4 – When Cancer Carries Trauma: Christine Fader on Love, Caregiving and Complex Grief 26.01.2026 1sa

  In this deeply moving episode, host Rosie Moss speaks with Christine Fader, an educator and advocate who became the primary caregiver to her husband, Michael, through his cancer journey.Christine and Michael met in 1997, an instant yet thoughtful connection that led to marriage within months. Long before cancer entered their lives, they were already navigating complexity, including Christine’s own chronic health condition. When Michael was diagnosed with cancer, the illness arrived layered with trauma. Treatment did not just cause physical pain. It resurfaced deep childhood wounds. Radiation masks triggered memories of abuse. Medical environments felt unsafe. Pain became inseparable from memory.Drawing on her background in medical education, Christine stepped into the dual role of caregiver and advocate, working to ensure Michael’s trauma was recognised and accommodated in a system that often overlooks it. Their story is not linear or neat. It moves through extraordinary love, startling pain, fierce advocacy, and profound tenderness. In his final days, Michael remained lucid and in excruciating pain, choosing to stay as long as he could. As he once told Christine, giving in to the cancer felt like giving in to the bad guys.Christine speaks openly about complex grief, including what it means to lose a long-term partner without children, and how she now channels that pain into education, advocacy, and storytelling. This is a conversation about love under pressure, trauma-informed care, and the quiet bravery of staying.In this episode, we explore:How Michael’s childhood trauma shaped his pain tolerance and mistrust of medical systems, and how Christine advocated for trauma-informed accommodations during treatmentThe emotional and ethical realities of caregiving through terminal illness, including assisted dying conversations and holding hope alongside hopelessnessHow Christine used her medical education background to design a student workshop on trauma-informed cancer careThe complexity of grief after losing a partner when there are no children, and how Christine built resilience through advocacy and storytellingWhy consent, slowing down, and assuming trauma may be present can radically improve medical careThe power of small rituals and personal notes during crisis, and Christine’s hope to one day shape these into a book honouring Michael’s storyContent warning: terminal illness, trauma, death#griefjourney #traumainformedcare #chronicillnesssupport #cancerstories #endoflifecare #caregiverlife #medicalconsent #partnerloss #mentalhealthawareness #resilientrelationships
• S4 - EP3 - Grieving with Dignity: Betsy Ronel on Love, Loss and the Long Road Back 19.01.2026 1sa 23dk

  In this episode of Widowed AF, Rosie Moss is joined by Betsy Ronel, a widow of 15 years, mother, New York real estate agent, and host of the podcast Heavens to Betsy.Betsy shares the story of her marriage to Daniel, a gifted plastic surgeon known for his integrity and deep ethical conviction. From early online dating to raising young children within a small-town medical community, their life together was shaped by love, ambition, and complexity. Daniel’s sudden death in a car accident shattered that world overnight, leaving Betsy to navigate shock, public scrutiny, parenting through trauma, and the long, slow work of survival.With striking honesty, Betsy reflects on the realities of widowhood that rarely get spoken about: the corrosive myths around “moving on,” the stigma attached to grief-related coping behaviours, and the way loss reshapes identity over years rather than months. She speaks candidly about mental health, financial instability, therapy, and rebuilding a life that still makes room for love and memory.Rosie and Betsy also explore the concept of what they call “pure grief”, mourning without betrayal or anger.Threaded throughout the conversation is humour, tenderness, and a deep respect for the person who died, alongside the hard truth that grief does not disappear. As Betsy puts it, “There’s no way around the grief, it will be waiting for you when you come back to Earth.”This is an episode about enduring love, dignity in grief, and finding ways to keep going without pretending the pain ever fully leaves.Key themes:Sudden loss and long-term widowhoodParenting children after the death of a parent“Pure grief” and mourning without betrayalMental health, stigma, and coping behavioursPublic scrutiny and navigating loss in small communitiesRebuilding identity and life after lossChapters0:02 Introducing Betsy Ronel and Shared Widowhood Experience5:08 Love After Loss: The Beginning of a New Chapter9:52 Building Family and Life Transitions17:24 Professional Challenges and Sudden Loss27:11 The Day Daniel Died and Immediate Aftermath43:40 Facing Grief, Public Scrutiny, and Legal Battles57:43 Navigating Grief and Single Parenthood64:31 Supporting Grieving Children and Parenting Challenges69:09 Financial Struggles, Rebuilding, and New Beginnings78:20 Reflections on Healing, Self-Compassion, and Endurance#widowhoodjourney #griefsupport #emotionalresilience #childbereavement #suddenloss #mentalhealthafterloss #parentingthroughgrief #careeraftertragedy #griefandhealing #traumaticloss
• S4 - EP2 - A Love Cut Short: Hannah Ramsey on Childhood Sweethearts, Sudden Loss and Grief 12.01.2026 1sa 32dk

  In this episode of Widowed AF, Rosie Moss sits down with Hannah Ramsey to tell a love story that began in childhood and ended far too soon.Hannah and her husband, Blue, met in primary school and spent 35 years building a life together. They raised four children, ran a business from home, renovated houses, travelled, laughed, and lived with a deep sense of partnership and mutual respect. Blue was thoughtful, practical, endlessly capable, and deeply present as both a husband and a father.Everything changed after a cycling accident on what should have been an ordinary ride. Hannah takes us into the disorienting world that followed: hospital corridors, neurological terminology, impossible waiting, and the unbearable moment of being told that survival would mean a life without consciousness. With honesty and quiet strength, she shares what it was like to sit with those realities, to honour long-held conversations about quality of life, and to say goodbye while still holding his hand.This conversation doesn’t shy away from the hardest parts of loss. Hannah speaks openly about the withdrawal of life support, the strange rituals of the hospital, the logistics that follow death, and the emotional weight of decisions no one ever expects to make. She also reflects on what helped her survive those early days: community, routine, gardening, friendship, and the permission to simply be “good enough” when perfection was impossible.Together, Rosie and Hannah explore the long tail of grief, the complexities of anger and compassion, the limits of traditional support spaces, and the quiet comfort found in shared stories and connection. It’s a tender, devastating, and deeply human episode about love, loss, and learning how to keep living when the person you built your world with is gone.Key themes:Childhood sweethearts and lifelong partnershipSudden loss and catastrophic injuryMaking end-of-life decisionsParenting after the death of a partnerCommunity, ritual, and surviving the early days of griefLearning to be “good enough” after loss
• S4 - EP1 - Love Loss and Disco balls, with Rachel Hart-Phillips 05.01.2026 37dk

  Rachel Hart-Phillips is back.You might remember her from season three, when she told the story of losing her husband to suicide while she was pregnant. Six years on, she’s raising their little boy, navigating the bits of grief that don’t come with a map, and building a life that holds both love and loss without trying to cancel either out.We talk about the strange reality of parenting a child who never met their dad, and the constant question of when to tell the full truth, and how. Rachel shares what helped her survive those first darkest months, why pregnancy became an anchor rather than an extra weight, and what it’s like to carry joy while still carrying grief.Since we last spoke, Rachel’s remarried, created a brilliantly bold card brand called Love Loss Disco Balls (because not everyone wants feathers and doves), and trained as a grief coach. We chat about the difference between counselling and coaching, the practical tools that can help when you feel stuck, and why talking about the hard stuff can take the sting out of it.It’s honest, funny in places, tender in others, and one of those episodes that leaves you feeling a little less alone.Links to Rachel’s work: https://www.instagram.com/afterglowthroughgrief/https://www.lovelossdiscoballs.co.uk/?srsltid=AfmBOoq5Vh5X_klW7AIYi32G22-bJ2QF_DNLLQ2WSpIIBNZp2fZNn3DQ#suicideloss #griefjourney #widowedparent #mentalhealthawareness #griefcoaching #blendedfamilies #grievingwhilepregnant #onlinedatingafterloss #smallbusinesssupport #holidaysafterloss
• S3 - EP39 - Season Three Finale: Grief, Solo Parenting, Burnout and Starting Again 30.12.2025 28dk

  In this episode, it’s just me.I recorded this on Christmas Eve to mark the end of season three and to say thank you. There’s no script and no guest. Just a chance to talk honestly about the year that’s been.I reflect on winning Gold at the podcast awards and why it still feels surreal. I talk about my marriage ending, going back to solo parenting, and supporting my neurodivergent daughter through school burnout and anxiety. I share how close I came to burning out myself, and what it’s really like trying to hold everything together as the only parent.I also talk about the Soul Sisters retreat I hosted at my home and how unexpectedly joyful and healing it was. There’s an update on the book, losing a publisher, starting again, and why launching it on the anniversary of Ben’s death feels right.There’s some laughter, some honesty, and a bit about Christmas and the pressure we put on ourselves to get it right.If you’ve listened this season, shared an episode, or sent a message, thank you. This podcast exists because of you.Season four starts in January.#widowedparent #neurodivergentkids #griefcommunity #healingafterloss #homeschoolinglife #selfpublishingjourney #christmasgrief #podcastawardwinner #griefandresilience #widowedaf